Building a Workshop from Scratch

[Mr Hammers]

Next year i plan to build a metalworking workshop/bigly shed in the back garden. It'll be around 10' x 12' at least, but possibly bigger and maybe even not square (triangular garden). Got to keep to a tight budget as i can, while still making it as good and solid as poss, as more money spent on building it means less on equipment to put in it.

What i'd like is people's input on things i should look out for or bear in mind when building it.

For the actual workshop itself, the things i'm sure i want are;

Concrete floor
Empty section in centre to house a large raiseable (?) workbench
(as in Make It Extreme's version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38yPR25VSw4)
Made of wood (so no planning permission required)
Gable roof
Good insulation (for warmth and sound)

Things i'm not sure i want yet;

Any windows
Window in the roof
Steel frame within (to use for attaching heavy lifting winch for example)
Some sort of heating system
Bright (maybe all LED) lighting


Equipment in the workshop

Already have;

Arc, Mig and Tig welders
Small lathe (forever indebted to Pete for that!)
Plenty much hand tools/power tools
Light duty chopsaws
Light duty drill presses
Small compressor
Several vices, large and small

What i think i would like/want/need/must have;

Milling machine
Bigger lathe
Bandsaw (horizontal to begin with, maybe another vertical one later)
Plasma cutter (ideally i'd like a decent CNC setup, but cost is probably too prohibitive at the moment)
Belt sander
Large disk sander
Large metal brake
Rachel Riley cardboard cut-out for those cold, lonely evenings

What i'd like, but not sure i'd actually need;

Sandblasting cabinet
Woodworking table saw
Wood planer

I have a budget of approx 3k, but realistically that probably won't be enough so may have to throw another 1k at it. That includes building it, and populating it with all the equipment i'd like.

So, what i'd like some advice on, or share any experience you have had with this sort of thing, are the following, as well as any general building tips;

Good place to buy the wood, concrete, materials required?
Good brands for the listed equipment? (I know Myford/Boxford are decent used brands for the mill/lathe, not so sure what others are, or for all the other stuff)
Some tips on buying the bigger stuff, maybe at industrial auctions..? (had a bit of a look around already, but don't know enough to know what i should be looking for tbh)

Any knowledge/experience/thoughts/suggestions/cardboard cut-outs gratefully received.

What i might do too, just for the fun of it, is over time document the whole build here, if anyone's interested..?

Artist's impression...
https://www.planetash.net/bcf/workshop/artistsimp.jpg
____________________
A Guide To Powerbands

[dynax]

You should be able to find everything you need here

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/workshop-builds-tours.35/
____________________
Mike.
Bikes: Xena, Bridget,Florence
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmihUc0xXxYbR4_0l-F1FzA/videos?view_as=subscriber

[Pete.]

No windows in my workshop and I wouldn't want any either. It's a waste of wall space, a security risk and a source of condensation.

If you're building a timber workshop I'd suggest lining it with a thin layer of insulation and an inner liner of timber or plasterboard to keep the temperature stable and avoid condensation on metal parts. Paint the whole inside white. Make it as high as you can and flat roof beats pent roof any day. Go as tall as you can then you have plenty of high-up storage. I wouldn't consider a ceiling lower than 7 feet - mine is 10 feet tall at the highest point and it gives me acres of shelf storage all around.

The one in the pic looks pretty good but your double door in the end wastes a lot of valuable wall space. I would go for one door in or near one corner. Gives you three full walls to make use of.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[stinkwheel]

A decent extractor if tyou're gong to be doing a lot of welding/grinding?

Are you going to be painting the stuff you make? Spraybooth?
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Easy-X]

A sink, or at least a water supply. I've seen a few videos of ppl with little plastic sinks with combo brush/tap thingy, looks very handy for cleaning stuff. Add on an ultrasonic cleaner to your sandblaster cabinet and you could clean anything
____________________
Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Robby]

I would be designing in some safety. You're filling a room with ways of hurting yourself (long term and short term). Also wooden building full of expensive tools, so fire would be bad.

So extractor fan, maybe a plumbed-in shop vac, properly fitted electrical consumer unit, and a couple of decent fire extinguishers and fire blankets. First aid kit where you can get to it. Seeing as I find it hard to care about my own safety, I try to make my garage safe enough that I would let someone else work in there unsupervised.

I would also spend more on the building now, and populate it with tools as and when you can afford it.

[jeffyjeff]

My advice is to install more electrical outlets than you think you will need, and locate the electrical panel in an accessible interior location.
Also, you might consider a larger compressor (6hp/30gal or larger) and piping air around your shop with wall mounted couplers.
____________________
History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[Skudd]

I've been meaning to make myself a workshop for the last two years. I've made an area for it now, I've got about 30 8x4 reclaimed marine ply about 12 mm thick. Just need to get funds/time/weather to put it all together. I've electrics in two sheds that will be taken down and I will be using that for my new workshop.
I just need to get some old pallets to make the base and then something to make a frame to attach the sheets to. The sheets will be used to make the floor, roof and three sides, I will be using other sourced timber to make the front entrance. Thinking about putting some second hand double glazing units in for light.

Looks like it will be next spring before I can get started, but it will give me chance to get the stuff needed all together ready.
____________________
Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[Riejufixing]

[chris-red]

I recently built a non square garage. Mine was brick however.

I did a video on it, it's basically me waffling on for ages and only 10-20% might be relevant but it might give you some ideas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yn2cyr7KX4

Some of this has been said before.

Paint the walls and ceiling white.
Put lights and sockets everywhere, it can never be too bright and you can never have enough sockets.
The power strip I got for the bench is brilliant.
The sensor on the lighting ring is brilliant.
Flat roof more storage, it is amazing how much you can get in the roof mine is 8" between the roof and the beams if I took down all the stuff in there I swear it would take up half the space and it isn't remotely near full.
Plan Plan plan, before the build started I knew where my airline/power was being run. I had conduit run through piers I also ran a separate circuit for my compressor as it is a high draw I knew where all this was going so I could factor it into the build.


Colin Furze did an interesting video on building a decent shed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP67MAoihZk
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.